Lewis heads to Angelo State

Published: Friday, November 23, 2012 at 9:09 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 23, 2012 at 9:09 a.m.

Former Ellender High basketball star Trevon Lewis made a quick impact in his freshman year at Nicholls State last season.

Lewis led the Colonels in scoring (12.6 points per game) and rebounding (5.1 points per game) last season, helping him win Southland Conference Freshman of the Year honors.

But after suffering two knee injuries and falling into academic trouble following his freshman season, Lewis decided that he needed a fresh start to get back on track.

Lewis will get that chance after deciding to transfer and play for Angelo State University next season. He signed his scholarship papers to play at Angelo State, a NCAA Division II college based in San Angelo, Texas, on Wednesday.

After taking a visit to Angelo State in October, Lewis said he was ready to join the school.

“It feels great,” Lewis said. “It’s another opportunity for me. When I went up there for a visit, it was a good environment as far as the support from the fans for the basketball team. It’s a beautiful campus and a beautiful area. The team is very good too, so I had a good time up there and I’m looking forward to going to Angelo.”

The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Lewis helped Nicholls (10-20 overall) reach the Southland Conference tournament last season. However, his season ended when he suffered a torn ACL injury during the conference tournament. After having his first surgery, he suffered another setback when he re-injured the same knee a month later.

Lewis, who is known by his nickname “Bruiser,” said he is spending his time rehabbing the injury, and he is looking forward to making a big comeback when he joins Angelo State’s basketball team for the 2013-14 season.

“The rehab and my workouts are going very well,” Lewis said. “I just can’t wait to get back on the court and play again.”

Lewis was ruled academically ineligible to play for the Colonels this season. He said it was his decision to leave Nicholls for another college, adding that he left the program on good terms with Colonels coach J.P. Piper and the rest of the team.

“I still reach out to those guys and I still talk to them almost every day,” Lewis said. “I have a great relationship with the players. The coaching staff still checks up on me, so it’s all good.”

Lewis said he enjoyed his time at Nicholls, and he credits the program for his development as a basketball player.

“My freshman year was a big blessing for me,” Lewis said. “I came in and didn’t expect to do what I did. I’ve got to give the coaching staff credit because they pushed me. They did a wonderful job. At Nicholls, I became a better player, a better person and gained more knowledge of the game. It was a big part of my success at Nicholls. It was an amazing experience to go there and be freshman of the year.”

Now Lewis said he hopes to carry that success to Angelo State, where he is expected to play small forward for Rams coach Fred Rike. He said he will have at least two years of athletic eligibility left.

He will also be reunited with two of his former Nicholls teammates in Chris Talkington and Bryan Hammond at Angelo State, who are both in their junior seasons with the Rams.

While visiting the campus last month, Lewis said he was excited to learn that the Rams play an aggressive, full-court style of play that focuses on forcing turnovers and scoring quick transition baskets.

“It’s basically like I’m going back to Ellender and the ‘32 Minutes of Pain,’” said Lewis, who was a first-team All-State selection as a senior with the Patriots. “They play an up-tempo, fast-paced style. That’s what I came from. I’m just glad to get back in that type of style.”

Ellender boys basketball coach Cornell Scott, who was Lewis’ assistant coach with the Patriots, said Lewis will fit in at Angelo.

“Trevon is a very good player,” Scott said. “I wasn’t surprised how well he played at Nicholls. He’s just a hard worker. He comes back here to Ellender to work hard in the gym and get his body back in shape. Wherever he goes, I think he’ll excel given the opportunity.”

As he prepares physically to play at Angelo State, Lewis said he working on improving his academic standing as well. He is taking classes at Fletcher Technical Community College to catch up on coursework.

“It’s going good, and I’m going to keep working,” Lewis said. “I’m planning on majoring in mass communications. I have two years left before I graduate.”

Despite all his setbacks with injuries and academics, Lewis said he is fortunate to get another chance to continue his basketball career at Angelo State.

“It’s a great blessing,” Lewis said. “It’s a perfect opportunity for me and my family. I just thank God for it. I’m just going to take advantage of this opportunity and do what my family wants me to do, and that’s to be successful in basketball. Basketball is my life, and I just can’t wait to get back out there and show what I can do again.”

<p>Former Ellender High basketball star Trevon Lewis made a quick impact in his freshman year at Nicholls State last season. </p><p>Lewis led the Colonels in scoring (12.6 points per game) and rebounding (5.1 points per game) last season, helping him win Southland Conference Freshman of the Year honors. </p><p>But after suffering two knee injuries and falling into academic trouble following his freshman season, Lewis decided that he needed a fresh start to get back on track.</p><p>Lewis will get that chance after deciding to transfer and play for Angelo State University next season. He signed his scholarship papers to play at Angelo State, a NCAA Division II college based in San Angelo, Texas, on Wednesday.</p><p>After taking a visit to Angelo State in October, Lewis said he was ready to join the school. </p><p>“It feels great,” Lewis said. “It's another opportunity for me. When I went up there for a visit, it was a good environment as far as the support from the fans for the basketball team. It's a beautiful campus and a beautiful area. The team is very good too, so I had a good time up there and I'm looking forward to going to Angelo.”</p><p>The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Lewis helped Nicholls (10-20 overall) reach the Southland Conference tournament last season. However, his season ended when he suffered a torn ACL injury during the conference tournament. After having his first surgery, he suffered another setback when he re-injured the same knee a month later.</p><p>Lewis, who is known by his nickname “Bruiser,” said he is spending his time rehabbing the injury, and he is looking forward to making a big comeback when he joins Angelo State's basketball team for the 2013-14 season. </p><p>“The rehab and my workouts are going very well,” Lewis said. “I just can't wait to get back on the court and play again.”</p><p>Lewis was ruled academically ineligible to play for the Colonels this season. He said it was his decision to leave Nicholls for another college, adding that he left the program on good terms with Colonels coach J.P. Piper and the rest of the team. </p><p>“I still reach out to those guys and I still talk to them almost every day,” Lewis said. “I have a great relationship with the players. The coaching staff still checks up on me, so it's all good.” </p><p>Lewis said he enjoyed his time at Nicholls, and he credits the program for his development as a basketball player. </p><p>“My freshman year was a big blessing for me,” Lewis said. “I came in and didn't expect to do what I did. I've got to give the coaching staff credit because they pushed me. They did a wonderful job. At Nicholls, I became a better player, a better person and gained more knowledge of the game. It was a big part of my success at Nicholls. It was an amazing experience to go there and be freshman of the year.”</p><p>Now Lewis said he hopes to carry that success to Angelo State, where he is expected to play small forward for Rams coach Fred Rike. He said he will have at least two years of athletic eligibility left. </p><p>He will also be reunited with two of his former Nicholls teammates in Chris Talkington and Bryan Hammond at Angelo State, who are both in their junior seasons with the Rams. </p><p>While visiting the campus last month, Lewis said he was excited to learn that the Rams play an aggressive, full-court style of play that focuses on forcing turnovers and scoring quick transition baskets. </p><p>“It's basically like I'm going back to Ellender and the '32 Minutes of Pain,'” said Lewis, who was a first-team All-State selection as a senior with the Patriots. “They play an up-tempo, fast-paced style. That's what I came from. I'm just glad to get back in that type of style.”</p><p>Ellender boys basketball coach Cornell Scott, who was Lewis' assistant coach with the Patriots, said Lewis will fit in at Angelo.</p><p>“Trevon is a very good player,” Scott said. “I wasn't surprised how well he played at Nicholls. He's just a hard worker. He comes back here to Ellender to work hard in the gym and get his body back in shape. Wherever he goes, I think he'll excel given the opportunity.”</p><p>As he prepares physically to play at Angelo State, Lewis said he working on improving his academic standing as well. He is taking classes at Fletcher Technical Community College to catch up on coursework. </p><p>“It's going good, and I'm going to keep working,” Lewis said. “I'm planning on majoring in mass communications. I have two years left before I graduate.”</p><p>Despite all his setbacks with injuries and academics, Lewis said he is fortunate to get another chance to continue his basketball career at Angelo State.</p><p>“It's a great blessing,” Lewis said. “It's a perfect opportunity for me and my family. I just thank God for it. I'm just going to take advantage of this opportunity and do what my family wants me to do, and that's to be successful in basketball. Basketball is my life, and I just can't wait to get back out there and show what I can do again.”</p>